NAVI have ensured it won’t be a trophyless year after winning StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025. They took down Ninjas in Pyjamas in the swift 2:0 Final, who will be somewhat disappointed they couldn’t show a better face to their play in this one.
This was a throwback to LANs of old – small-scale stuff, but all the spirit in the world. A nostalgic trip, for sure. Here’s how NAVI took down NIP on their way to the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 title.
NAVI favorites, but end their trophy draught nonetheless
Realistically, of the eight teams attending StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025, NAVI were always massive favorites. For the other seven teams in attendance, this Budapest LAN was merely an exercise in gaining VRS points, a roll of the dice in an attempt to reach the StarLadder Budapest Major. NAVI’s place is far more secure; the only pressure here is that of the expectation of victory.
The other pressure, of course, is that of NAVI’s trophy draught, which prior to this extended back to IEM Rio 2024 almost one year ago. It has been a downward spiral for the team since, but their win here means they can call themselves champions once again.
There is still something to be said for the manner NAVI won here. Map two looked to be going NIP’s way, with an initial 9:3 half. Yet, it was a dominant second-half performance for NAVI, dropping just a single round as they fought back to a 13:10 win. What could’ve slipped away to go the distance instead became a reminder of NAVI’s resilience. There have been bigger event wins for this organization, but they’ll be happy to get on the board regardless.
A loss for NIP, but mission successful regardless
On the flipside, NIP will be disappointed to have let map two of this Final slip away. But in this instance, it was an opportunity they could technically afford to miss.
As mentioned, StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 was all about the VRS points. In beating OG, PARIVISION, and B8, NIP have pretty much locked in a Major slot, so it feels like mission accomplished in Budapest. A trophy would’ve been nice, but when you look at how far NIP have come to get to this point, this is an important step on the way back to the game’s pinnacle.
